ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The government is not providing enough funds to carry out research and development activity in the social sciences sector whereas natural sciences had received huge financial assistance over the years.

The chairperson of History Department at Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr Dushka Syed, expressed these views at the opening ceremony of a computer lab in the department here on Wednesday.

“The government pay Rs5,000 additional allowance to a professor with Ph.D degree in natural sciences while Rs1,500 has been earmarked for a social scientist having the same degree.

Referring to her meeting with Dr Attaur Rehman, Ms Dushka said, “firstly, he refused to listen to our request regarding increase in funding for social sciences and then said it did not come under his purview.”

She said today, on behalf of the social scientists present here, the History Department asked Dr Atta to increase funds for social sciences, as he had been made the HEC chairman to look after the problems of public sector universities.

“Social sciences are as important as natural sciences, hence the government ought to look after their financial requirements, she said, adding the long-term effect of this policy would be disastrous, as social sciences could be a dying breed in the times to come.

Regarding the computer lab, Ms Dushka said, 15 computers had been installed in the lab. She said: “Our department is the first among the social sciences departments of the varsity, which had been equipped with this facility. She added that nine computers had been provided by Pakistan Tobacco Company and six by the varsity administration. Giving details of the department’s achievements, she said it had produced around 75 M.Phil students and had enrolled 15 students for the Ph.D programme. Six had been awarded doctorate degrees, she added.

She said students of the department had launched a magazine titled “The Historian”. The vice-chancellor, UAG Ishani, impressed upon the students to get benefit of the computer lab. He said the varsity was planning to extend the facility to other departments.

“I am rally impressed to see the initiative taken by the History Department through which it has set up a computer lab and conducted a four-month English language course,’he remarked.